...more recent posts
We made it back safely last night. Whew. An amazing trip all around. I have lots of pictures, but it will take me a little while to get them together. I did a lot of thinking about what technology would be necessary to cut down the post processing time. I'd like to be able to merge the image capture and image processing into a single operation. Point, click, publish all in one step. Of course, that won't happen, but I think we'll get a lot closer this year. I know someone (Kodak?) has a digital still camera out (or about to be out) with a built in modem so you can just connect your camera to a phone jack and then email the pictures to someone. Neat, although this system mandates you connect to their central server and send everything through their system, so I can't see that design working well. But the idea is nice. Personally, I'm more interested in a full powered, relatively small notebook computer with global wireless internet access (yeah, right.) Then I want all my peripherals (cameras) to wirelessly connect (bluetooth?) to my notebook. This way I can walk around with my notebook in my backpack and take pictures. I could script fireworks to do a batch resize (can you script photoshop? Not that it matters, I could do something with imageMagik) and the pictures would already be on my server without much intervention. Video is a little more complicated, as editing needs more of the human touch than resizing photos, but still, just having all the batch capturing done automatically would be great. I'd get back to the hotel at night, and all my video would already be on my notebook's hard drive. A couple glasses of wine later I could have it crudely edited and on the way to my server. I guess eventually my notebook could be my server, but that global wireless connection isn't coming this year (or next) so that will have to wait. Still, eventually I expect to have the digitalmediatree on a computer the size of a pack of cigarettes that I just carry around in my pocket. I don't know how long for that. Seven years?
Anyway, Amsterdam is a great city. Beautiful old city. Reminded me of parts of Cambridge Mass, but I guess the similarities probably run the other way. More like the West Village than Midtown, except with canals running everywhere. Lots of people on bicycles, and they have the right of way over pedestrians which was a little hard to keep in mind. I had thought that the city might be overrun with kids (listen to me) or deadheads or whatever, but this was not the case. Maybe it is worse in the summer, but even the coincidental happening of a rather large counter cultural event made little impression out in the streets. But thanks to that event we were able to see Patti Smith at the Melkweg Club. I had never seen her before and I am converted. She rules. I almost cried during one song.
The food winner was a fish restaurant called Lucias (I'll check that spelling, and you'll see the pictures.) We went twice. Mussels and frites are my new favorite meal. I don't know if Bellgo (Lafayette St., NYC) will do it for me, but you can bet I'll be stopping in there soon for a little cross pond comparison.
In Iceland our accomodations were a little more "poshed up" (as the phrase goes.) The Hotel Borg is definitely the place to stay in Reykjavic. After sharing the little (and very cool) houseboat in Amsterdam, having three rooms was quite a luxury. The main thing to do in Iceland is drink. And on the weekends it is the only thing to do. I thought it was some kind of festival we were there for, and indeed, it was quite festive, with the crowds going strong out in the streets past 6:00 am (or so the Wheel reports.) Evidently I was mistaken though, and this is what they do every weekend. Mostly they drink hard liquor (which I try to stay away from, not couting those vodka berry drinks at the Melkweg) but a few places have started to introduce the vine. A nice wine bar just around the corner from the hotel, and a great restaurant called Sommalier where I had a small bite of reindeer and another of smoked lamb carpaccio. Sometimes you just have to cut loose.
I didn't think that late November was the right time to head almost to the arctic circle, but it turned out to be great. The light, as I mentioned before, is really spectacular. We took two long drives in our rented four wheel drive vehicle (a must.) Lots of pictures from these ventures, so I won't describe execpt to say that it was spectacular. The second drive up the coast especially. I definitely have some suggestions for routes, so feel free to email me for more info if you are planning to head to the icy north.
One week in tight quarters with four people and possibly a bit too much partying can be trying. I think it has probably been the end of more than one friendship. I'm glad to report (at least from my perspective) that we came through with barely a scratch. To Mike and Alex and MB: thanks for everything. You guys are the best. What a short great trip it's been.
Hello from Iceland! The weather is fine. Not much sun, but the advantage is that the whole day is like that magical time at dawn (first half of the day) or dusk (second half of the day.) Great light. The Hotel Borg has fully assimilated us. We have a little Suzuki 4-wheel drive and have seen some amazing country. About to head out on our longest drive up the coast. Then tonight is the big festival (which I think means drinking binge in Icelandic.) We had a nice Thanksgiving dinner at a Vegetarian restaurant in Reykjavik last night. Tomorrow is a quick stop at the Blue Lagoon, and then home to NYC. Have you Yankees sorted everything out?
O.K., almost there. Everybody be good while we're gone, and I'm expecting you to have this presidential thing figured out by the time we return. We'll try to post some from over there, so check in if you are missing us. Cheers. (oh yeah - for best results, use my inch account for email while I'm gone. Thanks.)
Today's the day. We leave at 5:00 pm for the long flight to Amsterdam. Lots to do before then.
Ricochet is finally here. 128k wireless connection for < $100/month. San Francisco had this years ago.
This morning I ran out to the store to buy a centronix to DB-25 SCSI cable so that I could hook an external zip drive to H.'s machine to replace a defective internal drive. In my rush (lots of last minute errands before the trip) I bought the wrong cable. $30 - d'oh! Later, I returned, figuring I would just buy the right cable and put the wrong one in my growing inventory of "extra parts that might be useful someday." The owner of the store, who I had spoken with a few times, listened to my story, and then he said "Why didn't you bring the other cable back?" I explained that I had already opened the box, and there was no way to do that without tearing it, so I thought I couldn't return it. It was my fault, I had figured. "Oh no" he protested, "we're not that kind of store. You bring that one back, and we'll switch it." I was rather taken aback by his goodwill. "The box is damaged" I made clear. "That's O.K." he assured me, and then picking up the right cable he handed it to me "Here, take this home, make sure its right, and then bring me back the other one." And sure enough, I walked out of the store with the new cable on just my word that I would bring the other one back. I had to double check out in the street that I was indeed still in New York City. A few hours later I returned with the old cable. I showed him where the box was torn. He didn't care. He honestly seemed happy. He actually said "Well, the important thing is that you got it working." I'm serious, he said that! And then, to top it off, he noticed that the one I had bought was 29.95, but the correct one was only 17.95. "Here, let me get you the difference" he said, walking toward the cash register. Now this was really too much. "Look, let's just call it even" I offered, hopefully, "it really was my fault for buying the wrong one." "No, no" he protested, "fair is fair." "But I'm just charging it to someone else" I countered (don't tell H.,) "and I really appreciate you letting me exchange it. Let's call it even." "O.K." he said, in true statesmanlike fashion, and then thinking for another minute he said "how about a zip disk?" "Done" I said, and I walked out 100 megabytes richer. He might have lost on that deal, but he's got my business. If your needs run to the Mac side of things make sure you check out Digital Society on 10th street just west of Broadway, NYC.
Does one vote really matter? Dave Winer and rc3 have posted similar views on the issue. Unlike the major media that seems to be going with the "shame on you for ever thinking your vote doesn't matter - this election proves that it does" line, they take a more logical approach. If the election is not close then your one vote doesn't matter. If the election is close then it will be fought out in the courts and decided by a judge. Either way, your one vote doesn't matter.
It's mid month, so that means it's crypto-gram time. This month author Bruce Schneier explains the problems with digital signatures, and takes a quick look at both the SDMI hacking challenge, and the Microsoft hack. Schneier is the man when it comes to codes. Always interesting. The misunderstanding around digital signatures is going to be a real legal problem.
Today's picture (archived here) is of the geothermal bath outside of Reykjavik, Iceland. I'll be there late next week after a few days in Amsterdam.
I had never seen this one before. It's called the slashdot Cheesy Portal. It doesn't look good, but it does have all the latest breaking geek news on one page. I think this one is going to replace 10.am for me.